


A Walk In The Woods

by RachaelGold



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Fluff, very short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 03:39:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14729249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelGold/pseuds/RachaelGold
Summary: Chakotay, a little annoyed by the attention Kathryn is getting from Mike Ayala, has something important to say to her





	A Walk In The Woods

A flash of red hair, a lift of the breeze ….. Chakotay was in heaven. This was the woman he'd fallen in love with all those years ago: Kathryn Janeway at her most relaxed, walking through the woods some way ahead of him, chatting to members of her former crew. She was concerned for their welfare as ever, but freer now to be their friend and not just their Captain. She was looking particularly beautiful today, he couldn't help but observe, drenched in the late Spring sunlight. The golden shafts of light danced with the shadows of the trees in her hair and the movement of her hips was picked up in the seductive sway of her skirt. She was wearing boots, fashionably heeled, yet slightly impractical for walking. She cut a remarkable figure, however, in her autumn colours topped by a soft yellow jumper. She looked delightfully feminine, a far cry from the stiff pristine Captain she used to be and the exemplary Admiral she now was. 

Although Kathryn did not often make it, the Voyagers had taken to meeting regularly on a Sunday afternoon. They missed each other terribly…no-one back on earth could really relate to the experience they had been through in the Delta Quadrant. They felt a strong need to reconnect, to just hang out together as the family they had become. Sometimes they'd bring others with them, people they loved, but who invariably found it hard to fit in with this close-knit group of people. However welcomed the group tried to make them feel, they would always be outsiders, people desperate to relate to their loved one's Voyager family, but never quite understanding the bonds forged by common experience in the returned group of travellers. 

It was a delightful Spring day and the sun, where it penetrated the trees, infused a soft warmth on the hillside. Coats were not needed, despite the occasional blast of chilly air. Chakotay was near the back of the group of about fifty people, talking mainly to B'Elanna and Tom (Miral on his back), though he itched to get up to the front and talk with Kathryn. The picnic had been feasted upon and packed away, and the group had elected to take a walk, as they often did, to admire earth's natural beauty. It had gotten to be a rather traditional way of spending Sunday afternoon. He and Seven had come a number of times, although Seven would often complain that it was a waste of time. Picnicking and walking she considered an inefficient use of time. Poor Seven, he thought. Would she ever truly understand human nature? He figured the Borg had wrested much of it from her when she was a child. He had tried as hard as he could to support her through these early months back on earth, and still would, even though they had finally decided to go their separate ways. The split had been amicable. Seven had enjoyed his induction into the world of relationships, but announced that she was now ready to move on and test out her skills on other unsuspecting men before embarking on anything remotely permanent. If Chakotay's ego was bruised by this, the feeling did not last too long. He realised deep down that he felt something more akin to relief, that his heart was engaged, and probably always would be, elsewhere. Seeing Kathryn Janeway enjoying herself so freely, reminded him of that. He had a few bridges to mend, he knew, and he intended to do so today. His relationship with Seven had done some damage. He remained optimistic, however. His vision quests had recently told him to pursue his dream, that he should stand up for what he most wanted and not settle for second best. Tom and B'Elanna were pretty much of the same opinion. 

Today, however, his optimism had taken a bit of a knock. Kathryn had barely spoken to him, merely asking why Seven hadn't come. Seven was putting in extra hours at headquarters assisting in the mock up of a Borg cube to be used for training purposes, and hadn't given taking the day off a second thought. Kathryn had responded that she needed to talk to Seven about getting her priorities right and then she had moved on to greet Sam and Naomi. 

But worse, Mike Ayala seemed to be giving Kathryn a lot of attention, in a way he wouldn't have dared if she had still been his Captain. He was making her laugh…he could hear the distinct throaty chortle from this distance, and it was beginning to make him seethe. There were others around her, it was true, and it could not remotely be construed as a romantic little tête à tête, but, to his annoyance, Kathryn appeared to be receiving his solicitations rather favourably. There were even a few fleeting touches. Chakotay sighed. That just about did it! He was certainly going to have to put a stop to this. Get it sorted once and for all! He was definitely going to have to put his foot down with his former commanding officer! 

The walkers climbed for a couple of miles before the path opened out to a clearing with a magnificent view across a valley to mountains beyond. The group naturally paused for a few minutes, raided their water bottles and caught their breath. There was collective amazement and appreciation of the view, and more than a few holoimages taken. The rear of the party, including Chakotay, caught up. There was a certain amount of mingling and regrouping, and when Kathryn set off again, as always leading the way, he was determined to set off right next to her.

He asked her how she was and spent some time asking about her work at the Admiralty. She was more than happy to furnish such details that were not strategically sensitive, and he listened with only half an ear, as his mind was set on discussing matters of far greater importance. He glanced back to note with some satisfaction that Mike Ayala had been commandeered by B'Elanna and Tom, who were firing all sorts of questions at him. The man threw a slightly exasperated look in Kathryn's direction, but seemed to be accepting his lot for the moment. Weeks ago, Mike had asked Chakotay directly if he would be stepping on his toes, if he tried his suit with Kathryn. The two of them had always been friends and he didn't want to trespass on territory long regarded as Chakotay's. Chakotay, dating Seven at the time and somewhat shocked at this turn of events, could hardly tell him to keep his hands to himself. However, he did tell Mike he most probably would be way out of his depth and left it at that.

He turned back to Kathryn with a grin, knowing that Tom and B'Elanna would do their best to buy him some badly needed time. 

They walked on and he plucked idly at some grasses beside the path. 

"What's going on with you and Mike?" he asked, as nonchalantly as possible. 

"Nothing's going on with me and Mike!" she insisted. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes." 

"Because it didn't look like that just now." 

Kathryn frowned in indignation. "We were being friendly…that's all. You think I'm encouraging him?" 

"Are you?" 

"Chakotay, I may be desperate…but I'm not that desperate." 

"Good. Does he know that? You can be a terrible flirt when you want to be!" 

Kathryn looked at him open-mouthed. "I am not a terrible flirt! I resent that!" 

"Oh yes you are, and what's more, you know it! It's time to stop playing games with the men who adore you and settle for just one." 

"Since when have you been official advisor on my love-life?" she queried, a little resentfully. 

"Since we've had seven years of close friendship. I thought we could discuss just about anything with each other." 

She huffed in response. 

"Mike doesn't know you nearly well enough, and he doesn't realise he's bitten off more than he can chew," continued Chakotay. "You're way out of his league. He's been besotted with you for years, and he doesn't need you to pick him up just to drop him again and smash his ego to pieces, particularly since he's so raw about his wife finding another man…" 

"Yes, Chakotay, I know. We do have something in common there…what with my fiancé getting married to someone else. We can commiserate with each other. That is allowed?" 

"I suppose." 

"Relax. I'm not going to lead him on." 

"And you're not the least bit interested?" 

"Only mildly," she conceded. "I'm not short of offers." 

"I had noticed. I heard you've got them lining up back at Starfleet. You can afford to be picky." 

"Really Chakotay! And why should you be interested?" 

"Oh, I am always interested in anything and everything to do with you. Always." 

Kathryn looked at him darkly, trying to fathom what was going on in his mind. 

"You need someone very special," he continued. "An equal. Someone who can match your intellect…someone eloquent, who can laugh with you over a bottle of wine and discuss the vagaries of the universe. A man who can share your vision, thrust and parry with you in conversation, the perfect foil to your intellect. Someone who won't be intimidated by you. Someone who will meet you head on in life and in love. Someone with your energy and passion. Someone exciting and a little bit dangerous. Someone who's prepared to be masterful in the bedroom and satisfy your demanding nature, yet not be a pushover. Now that I've met him, I know Mark didn't cut the mustard. I can't see him ever having satisfied you." 

"Chakotay!" she protested indignantly. The conversation was straying into inappropriate territory and she didn't like it. "He is a very intelligent man!" 

"Maybe. Gentle, intellectual, but ever such a little bit boring. I certainly can't see him thrilling you in the bedroom and I'm sure he rolled over like a pussycat when you dug your heels in. I doubt he ever understood the depth of your commitment to Starfleet either. I know you weren't that heartbroken when he moved on, and don't try to deny it. You settled for something less than wonderful with him, and I've always been a little curious. I think it was because at the time you wanted a safe harbour emotionally, rather than an exciting full-blown roller-coaster love affair. Maybe that reflects where you were at the time, but it isn't where you are now. There's no way it would have been the soul-satisfying, earth-moving relationship you need and deserve. You knew even then, when Mark told you it was over, that something far more rich and exciting could be had elsewhere. Am I right?" 

Kathryn looked at him in astonishment, unable to believe his audacity. "You are reading far more into my behaviour than is appropriate, Chakotay. You would never have talked to me like this..." 

"No, I never would. Not as your First Officer. Perhaps as your friend..." 

"Friend?" she snorted, with a hint of derision. "This is all pure speculation anyway!" 

"Is it? I've spent years studying what makes Kathryn Janeway tick, and I think I've got quite a good handle on it. You're a passionate woman...about everything...life, the universe, Starfleet, exploration...love. You've thrown all your energies over the last seven years into serving the crew you felt such responsibility for, but we're home now. That passionate woman has the time and the energy to feed herself. You're not by nature a woman who likes to be alone. You were made to love and be loved, physically and emotionally. I know you miss that...that special connection with someone. I know you've had plenty of regrets about having to put that side of your life on hold for so long. It's time for a fresh relationship: something much more colourful and satisfying than your last one. You need someone intelligent in your life, passionate and gutsy, who loves you from the very depths of his being…with an enduring unshakeable love. You need…your soulmate." 

Kathryn might have objected more strongly to this rather presumptuous tirade which verged on the inappropriate, if she hadn't been rather thrown by it. Whilst she couldn't deny much of what had been said, she felt somewhat raw and exposed by it all. It cut deep into some festering emotional wounds that she didn't care to pick at. She threw an anxious glance backwards and observed that the rest of the party were dropping out of sight. 

She looked back at Chakotay, swallowing her annoyance in favour of some heartfelt honesty. 

"The perfect man?"

"Yes." 

"He doesn't exist." 

"He does." 

"He does not. I've had enough disappointments to know that by now."

"Oh, don't let your disappointment cloud your optimism. He exists alright." 

"Then point him out to me." 

"He's right here. Me." 

Kathryn gasped at his presumption. This was unexpected. "Well, Chakotay…you would be perfect, if you weren't dating a blonde goddess half your age…" she blustered, indignantly. 

"Kathryn…I am not dating a blonde goddess half my age. Give me some credit…" 

"You and Seven?" 

"Finished. It never really amounted to anything." 

"Oh? I thought…" 

"Then, you thought wrong." She laughed awkwardly covering her reluctance to take him at face value. "Kathryn, neither one of us is the sort of person who should settle for second best." 

She halted her steps and looked up at him now with interest, the light of hope beginning to show in her eyes. 

"You mean…?" 

"You are the woman for me. I love you. I've always loved you. And you love me. That's why you've been so starchy with me lately. It's time you admitted it." 

Her mouth opened and closed momentarily. G-d, the man had a nerve! Of all the arrogant bastards in the universe! He was so damned sure of himself! Okay, so he was so damned sexy too, when he stood his ground and looked at her with those knowing dark eyes. And, she had to admit, he was undeniably right. 

He stepped closer. There was an errant lock of her hair whipping about in the wind, and he caught it between his fingers and brushed it behind her ear. He let his hand linger longer than necessary, his thumb rubbing for a few seconds on her cheek. He could almost feel her resolve softening right under his fingers. Finally, she confessed, "Yes, Chakotay. I love you."

They smiled at each other, a little self-conscious. Kathryn glanced backwards again to see who was listening. The rest of the party were nowhere to be seen by now, having dropped so far back to allow the two of them some privacy. 

"Relax, Kathryn. They're giving us some space," he said, softening his tone now she had come clean. 

She turned back towards him, an easier smile spreading on her lips. "Do I sense a conspiracy?" 

"Perhaps in part. But there are probably twenty pairs of field visors trained on us at this very moment." 

She laughed. "Then who are we to disappoint?"

"My thoughts exactly." He took her hand tenderly. "We've waited a long time for this moment. I understood why you felt you could not let this happen while we were out in the Delta Quadrant. You needed to stay in control out there, and your feelings for me threatened that. But we're home now. You're no longer my commanding officer, and we don't have to maintain the charade any longer. I think it's time to take the plunge and be honest with each other. Kathryn, I know you've been miffed with me for dating Seven, but I can forgive you for making me wait, if you can forgive me for acting like the fool and chasing a ridiculous illusion. It's history now, for she would never have owned my heart."

"And I do?" 

"You do. Always." 

She smiled and moved closer. "Then I guess I really have found my soulmate." 

"So I finally get to kiss you?" he asked expectantly. 

Her smile broadened. "Better put on a good show for the troops."

"I think we can manage that." 

He drew her into his arms, and his lips met hers in a demanding suffocating kiss. Their hearts thumped, and their bodies began to hum with anticipation. It was as electric and intoxicating as they'd always known it would be. When she pulled away breathlessly, she laid her head on his shoulder. 

"I love you, Kathryn Janeway." 

"I love you too," she sighed. "But you knew that, didn't you?" 

"I had a pretty good idea, yes." 

"Is this letting Mike down gently?" 

"Oh," he answered, rubbing her back tenderly, "I think he'll get the message."


End file.
